The invention relates to an installation for transporting objects, in particular items of clothing hanging on clothes hangers.
Such installations transport the objects on conveying paths by means of a transporting roller, containing two parallel spaced-apart flanges on the end sides and a central part located therebetween as well as a through-passage opening leading through the center between the flanges and the central part, the central part having at least one peripheral, annular circumferential part which can rotate separately from the two flanges, and the two flanges being connected to one another and to the circumferential part such that, in the case of the circumferential part rotating as a result of bearing on the conveying path, the two flanges are in a rest state irrespective of the rotation, a hook-like carrier element for an object which is to be transported passing through the through-passage opening and projecting from the latter by way of its free end.
The transporting roller of the abovementioned transporting installation is known from EP 10 13 569 A1 and is designed in order to avoid the smoothing effect which arises with a build-up of at least two transporting rollers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an installation which is intended for transporting objects of the type mentioned below and ensures, by straightforward means, the reliable transportation of objects which are to be transported on conveying paths.
Accordingly, the invention provides that the conveying path comprises a fixed rolling ridge with a transporting-roller running track on its top side, the transporting roller riding on the rolling ridge, the two flanges of the transporting roller engaging laterally around the rolling ridge, and the circumferential part of the transporting roller engaging with transporter-roller running track, and that guided along the rolling ridge, spaced apart laterally from the same at least corresponding to the thickness of the flange projecting there, is a comb-like conveying mechanism, of which the gaps or clearances are dimensioned for the engagement of the free end of the hook-like carrier element.
This manner of transporting-roller movement allows a straightforward design of the transporting means for the transporting roller in the form of a comb-like conveying mechanism which can be moved along the conveying path and in the gaps of which the free end of the hook-like carrier element for the goods which are to be transported can be accommodated in order for the transporting roller to be carried along.
The comb-like conveying mechanism is advantageously connected to a link chain running parallel to the conveying path, in particular a laterally curved chain of a drive arrangement.
The comb-like conveying mechanism preferably comprises tines in the form of regularly spaced-apart carry-along pins which extend perpendicularly to the through-passage opening of the transporting roller and perpendicularly to the transporting-roller running track, in order to provide the highest possible clearance for the reliable engagement of the free end of the hook-like carrier element.
According to a particularly advantageous development of the invention, the rolling ridge, provided by the transporting-roller running track, is formed as part of a profile rail, in which the link chain is guided.
This profile rail preferably has a generally C-shaped cross section, an upwardly oriented edge of the C-profile rail forming the transporting-roller running track.
The comb-like conveying mechanism preferably spans to the full extent, by way of its tines, the gap between the mutually facing edges of the C-profile rail for the purposes of providing a clearance which is bounded at the top and bottom, in order for the free end of the hook-like carrier element, and thus the transporting roller, to be reliably secured throughout the conveying displacement.
An advantageous development of the invention provides that the installation has a location for supplying or introducing the transporting roller(s) into the conveying path, having a downwardly sloping section which opens out laterally into the conveying path and comprises a fixed rolling ridge with a transporting-roller running track on its top side, said rolling ridge opening out into the rolling ridge of the conveying path, there being provided in the downwardly sloping section, on which the transporting roller(s) is or are conveyed to the conveying path by the action of gravitational force, an arrangement for restraining the transporting roller(s), which can be released synchronously with the presence of a gap of the conveying mechanism in the supply location, with account being taken of the period of time taken for the respective transporting roller to come into contact with this gap.
This object is achieved by the features set forth below. Advantageous developments of the invention are also specified below.
At this introduction location, or generally in the case of diverters which open out into the conveying path, the gap sequence of the conveying mechanism is coordinated with the timing of the respective diverter. Provided for this purpose is a corresponding clock generator, for example in the form of a gearwheel, which engages in the gaps of the comb-like conveying mechanism, or the spaced-apart tines thereof, and controls the diverter in a correspondingly synchronous manner.
The restraining arrangement at the abovementioned location for introducing transporting rollers into the conveying path preferably comprises a restraining pin for releasing a leading transporting roller and a further restraining pin for restraining trailing transporting rollers, it being possible for the restraining pins to be moved in the direction of their longitudinal axes between a restraining position in front of the respective transporting roller and a release position, in which they are disengaged from the respective transporting roller. The restraining pins can preferably be moved essentially perpendicularly to the transporting-roller running track of the downwardly sloping section.
The invention further provides that the conveying path comprises at least one ejecting location or discharging line which branches off from it and has a downwardly sloping section, which has a fixed rolling ridge with a transporting-roller running track on its top side and on which the transporting roller(s) is or are conveyed to a collecting location by the action of gravitational force, the ejecting location comprising a diverter which can optionally be brought up to the conveying path in order to transfer the transporting roller(s) to the downwardly sloping section of the ejecting location, with the free end of the hook-like carrier element passing through the through-passage opening thereof, being disengaged in the process.